Use ETH in the Network Sending the Tokens
The ARB token and the gas-paying balance have different roles. Holding more of the token does not automatically provide the fee asset for an ordinary transfer.
ETH on Arbitrum One
Check the ETH balance of the account that holds the ARB you will send. A different account in the same wallet application cannot automatically pay for it.
The distinction is explained in ARB versus ETH: different assets and jobs. Sponsored or alternative fee arrangements are product-specific features; use one only when the wallet explicitly offers it for this action.
ETH on Ethereum Mainnet
An Ethereum mainnet ETH balance is recorded on a different chain. Even when the same public address appears in both places, that mainnet balance is not automatically available for an Arbitrum One payment.
If you acquire or withdraw ETH for this purpose, check the destination network before paying. A network-selection mistake can leave you with ETH that still cannot fund the intended transfer.
Estimate the Fee for the Exact Action
Open the sending account, choose the token and prepare the recipient and amount without confirming. Read the wallet’s estimated network cost and its final signing preview.
Arbitrum’s fee estimate accounts for execution and the applicable parent-chain data cost. Do not add a second guessed Ethereum fee to a wallet estimate that already covers the transaction.
For a simple budgeting example, if a wallet estimated 0.00002 ETH for each of two planned transfers, the two estimates would total 0.00004 ETH before any allowance for changing conditions. These are illustrative inputs, not a current Arbitrum gas quote; refresh the estimate for each real transfer.
Diagnose an Insufficient-Gas Message
A visible token balance and an ability to send it are separate checks. Identify which balance or action the error refers to before adding funds.
| What you find | What to check next |
|---|---|
| ARB is present, but ETH is absent | Fund the correct sending account with the fee asset on Arbitrum One |
| ETH is visible only on Ethereum | Inspect the chain of that balance; it cannot directly pay an Arbitrum One transaction |
| ETH is in another wallet account | Select the account holding the tokens and check its own balance |
| A transfer attempt failed | Check its transaction record and any fee spent before retrying |
If the wallet shows no submitted transaction, inspect the final error rather than assuming a payment is pending. If it does show a hash, locate that transfer before creating another.
Prepare for More Than One Transaction
A plain token send, an approval and an application interaction can have different costs. Budget for the actions you intend to take, then refresh each estimate when it is needed.
When buying ARB with USDT, prepare the receiving account’s later gas separately from the stablecoin payment. The purchase does not bundle an extra ETH balance into the payout.
The guide to storing purchased ARB helps plan access and the first outgoing transfer. Keep the recovery method protected while resolving a fee problem; support does not need it to explain a public balance.